It’s All Graphical
Watch Dogs wasn’t a horrible game. Did it have some issues? Of course, what new IP doesn’t? However, a lot of the flack it received concerned the graphics that players got when they finally popped in the game on launch day. It looked nothing like the trailers from before, and while the gameplay elements were still mostly in tact, it just couldn’t be overlooked.
While this wasn’t all malice in Ubisoft’s case in this instance, it is a common trick to get fans to want a game. Show a beautiful slice of a game that is impossible to deliver on current hardware. Mix in some action-packed scenes, some gorgeous lighting, and a sweet tagline and you’re in.
If you hear everyone talking about how great a game looked in a trailer or a demonstration, and it’s all about the visuals, steer clear or, at the very least, be wary. Don’t feed into gorgeous 1080p visuals, those do not make an amazing game.